Lubricators for diesel locomotive traction motor suspension bearings



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United States Patent O LUBRICATORS FOR DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE TRAC- TION MOTOR SUSPENSION BEARINGS Robert J. Harkenrider, Winona, Minn., assignor to Gladys D. Miller, Winona, Minn.

Application June 27, 1951, Serial No. 233,778

4 Claims. (Cl. 308-243) Felt fabric lubricator bodies of desirable density and ccarseness will lift oil a maximum of about three to four inches. Felt lubricators dense enough to lift oil five to six inches aretoo slow and clog with dirt too readily at the surface bearing on the shaft.

Fabrics of line fibers lift better than fabrics of coarse fibers, but do not make as good applicators on account of the tendency to clog and to glaze.

Vegetable fibers, such as cotton, are finer than much animal fiber, but an applicator of cotton fabric glazes readily.

The principal object of this invention is to increase the speed and the height of the oil lift of lubricating fabric while maintaining desirable applicator surface. Generally speaking, this' is accomplished by providing a lubricator fabric presenting a lubricating or applicator surface composed mainly of relatively coarse fibers but having in the fabric enough line fibers to provide lthe desired oil lift. This is accomplished in a variety of ways.

In felting animal bers of suitable density and coarseness to make an applicator, inserts of tinev fiber, vegetable or animal, may be embedded and incorporated in the fabric. Animal bers mat together due to minute scales on their surfaces. Vegetable fibers as a rule do not have the desirable felting character because of the absence of those scales. However, in felting animal fibers to form the desired fabric, fine vegetable bers may be incorporated in crotcheted or other woven fabrics in threads or yarn. The felted animal bers will encompass the vegetable fibers so applied and embody them in the fabric.

Relatively coarse and relatively ne animal fibers may be felted in separate layers or alternate layers, providing the coarseness and density in one layer for desirable applicator surface and the higher capillary characteristics in the adjacent layer for lifting the oil higher and more rapidly.

Care must be taken to keep the area of the ne liber, whether cord, woven fabric, or what not, quite small as compared with the area of the coarse fabric, considering the face of the applicator that goes against the journal. As long as the area of the material that has a tendency to clog is quite small as compared with the coarser material, there is a washing action that retards, and, if properly proportioned, prevents such clogging as would render the higher capillary material ineffective. As an example, 1/16 diameter cotton spaced 3716 on centers.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the disclosure proceeds and the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a transverse vertical section through a motor suspension bearing and the axle to which it is applied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a felt body used as an applicator;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a similar body, parts being broken away to show the interior layer;

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Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are views of felt bodies similar to Fig. 3, looking from the left;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an applicator made up of a plurality of felt bodies with the upper portion thereof inclined so as to run diagonally across the surface to be lubricated;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the same;

l() is a perspective View of a felt body, a portion pulled away to reveal the interior fabric;

Fig. ll is an enlarged View of the crocheted fabric in the felt; and

Fig. l2 is a perspective View with portions broken away to show how yarns are run through the felt body from the wick portion curving to the curved surface for contact with the journal to be lubricated.

But these diagrammatic drawings and the corresponding description are used for the purpose of disclosure only.

ln Fig. 1, the reference numeral 10 indicates a familiar form of motor suspension bearing provided with a liner or shell 11 forming the actual bearing for the wheeled axle 12. Associated with these is a motor suspension bearing cap or axle cap 13 secured to the motor suspension bearing by bolts 14 and provided with an oil reservoir 15.

The means forming the subject matter of this invention is to lift the oil from the reservoir 15 and apply it to the axle 12 through the window opening 16 in the shell or liner 11. That function is performed by a felt body or felt bodies, generally indicated at 17, assembled in a holder or holders 18 pivoted to levers 19 and urged toward the axle by springs 2LP, all substantially as disclosed in my application Ser. No. 109,563, August 10, 1949, now Patent No. 2,640,742, granted lune 2, 1953, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in the interest of brevity.

lt is commercially diiiicult to make a felt pad having sufficient area to cover the surface of the journal exposed in the window opening with the fibers substantially endwise to lit evenly against the journal, and feed evenly to the surface. For that reason, the applicator is made up of a group of felt bodies, such as indicated in Figs. 2-12. rThey may have individual holders or may have the same holder as disclosed in the above mentioned application.

In Fig. 2, the felt body, generally indicated by 22, has a thickened portion 23 provided with a curved surface 24 to bear against the surface of the journal in applying the lubricant. The curved surface 24 is an arc of a circle having a radius equal to that of the journal, as shown in Figure l, and for convenience will be deemed to have an axis which is coincident with the axis of the journal. Depending from the thickened portion is a wick 25 intended to hang in the oil reservoir and lift the oil and supply it to the thickened portion 22.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, the felt bodies are shown as laminated to the extent that there are relatively thick layers of coarse material, such as animal fiber, and dense enough to make good applicators. Interposed between these, or running loosely between them, are thin layers or threads or yarns 26, woven or unwoven, which have a higher capacity for lifting oil from the reservoir to the applicator surface.

In Figure 3, the fine material 26 is shown as woven with the weave being open enough to enable the wool f1- bers to felt through it and thus embody the woven fabric into the felt. Figure 3 also shows the Woven fabric of fine material 26 so oriented with respect to the felt laminations that the arcuate cut for the surface 24 nds all warp and woof strands of the fabric 26 making a substantial angle with the arcuate surface 24. This bias cut of the fabric 25 is of great practical significance because it leaves no warp or woof threads of the fabric Fatented May i7, 1955 parallel to or substantially parallel to the arcuate surface 24. Experience has taught that when threads of the fabric 26 are permitted to parallel the surface 24, the normal Wear of the pad will sooner or later release small pieces of the cotton or similar thread of the fabric 26 and result in waste grabs. Another advantage of the bias cut for the fabric 26 is that at least some of the strands or threads which intersect the arcuate surface 24 are continuous through the wick portion 25 of the pad, and this enhances the oil lift characteristics of the lubricator as a whole.

In Figure 4, the laminae of coarse and ne material are substantially parallel with the side surface of the lubricator, with the result that the tine material delivers oil to the journal in parallel streaks and with the coarse laminae serving to absorb and distribute the oil over the entire bearing surface.

In Fig. 5, the layers are not parallel to the side surfaces in order to have the layers of ne material go diagonally across the journal surface.

In Fig. 6, the layers are substantially parallel up to the curved applicator surface 24, where they are inclined for the same reason.

In Fig. 7, the alternate thick and thin layers of coarse and tine material are unwoven, but inclined so as to make the liner material run diagonally across the surface to be lubricated.

In Fig. 10, the ne material 27, such as cotton, is an open crotcheted fabric in which the cotton yarn is continuous, and has been found to furnish a high degree of oil lift.

In Fig. l1, there is an attempt to show the crocheted stitches.

In Figs. 8 and 9, the applicator is made up of a plurality of felt bodies corresponding generally to those shown in Figs. 2-7, except that in making the composite applicator one felt body 28 is cut at an incline 29 in the area corresponding to the curved surface Z4, and on the opposite side the felt body 30 is cut parallel to 29, as indicated at 31. The intermediate felt bodies 32 are bent at 33 to throw the layers of fine material at an angle to the surface of the journal to be lubricated. The dots 34 indicate the end portions of the fine material in the surface 24 for application to the journal.

1n Fig. l2, the felt body 36 of relatively coarse animal fiber has running through it yarns 37 of tine cotton material leading from the lower end of the wick portion 38 and curving at 39 through the thickened portion to present their ends 40 through the surface 24 for application to the journal.

These several forms are deemed sufficient to indicate the great variety of ways in which the ne material can be incorporated in the felt of desirable density and coarseness.

I claim:

l. In a lubricator for a rotatable journal including a body portion having an arcuate surface of substantially less than 180 for contact with a limited circumferential area of the journal, and a depending portion forming a wick to supply the arcuate surface with lubricant, the improvement wherein at least said body portieri of the lubricalor is formed of alternate layers of felt and a Woven fabric compacted together, said fabric having warp and Woof strands of relatively fine fibers having high lift-characteristics, and the fabric being so oriented or biased with respect to said arcuate surface that all warp and woof strands of the fabric which intersect said arcuate surface are at a substantial angle thereto.

2. A lubricator as set forth in claim 1 in which said layers lie in planes which intersect the axis of said arcuate surface.

3. A lubricator as set forth in claim 2 in which said layers are inclined with respect to said axis.

4. A lubricator as set forth in claim 1 in which at least some of said strands are continuous from the arcuate surface to the wick portion of the lubricator.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,369 Sumpter Apr. 6, 1880 648,065 Brownl Apr. 24, 1900 1,260,806 Rayburn Mar. 26, 1.918 2,047,730 Fleckenstein July 14, 1936 2,540,829 Miller Feb. 6, 1951 

